Chris Jericho Explains Thought Process Behind His AEW Factions & Current Solo Run

Chris Jericho has undergone several changes to his character in AEW, serving the face of several stables along the way. In an interview with TMZ's "Inside The Ring," Jericho looked back at the last handful of years and explained the thought process behind his faction leadership — something he'd never done in his time with WWE.

"I always want new things to do and [to] create new moments," Jericho explained. The veteran stated that the groups he was in were a "product of necessity," because when AEW started, many of the names on the roster were still relatively unknown, and it was up to him to make them all more recognizable. The Inner Circle helped introduce much of the audience to Santana (now on "WWE NXT" as Cruz Montana) and Ortiz, along with Sammy Guevara and the already-familiar Jake Hager. "Okay, now we have a group of guys we can start building along with."

As more people joined the roster and established themselves, there was now an upper card that could carry the promotion alongside him. Jericho then noted that the "Jericho Appreciation Society" did a similar thing, followed by "The Learning Tree," which he claims was built to help Big Cass become a bigger name on the roster. "The goal was always to give guys a bigger platform so that they could become stars on their own," he claimed.

Jericho then expressed that his AEW return in April left him feeling like he didn't need a stable this time around. "It was the self-titled era of Chris Jericho, hence 'Jericho.' I could have had another bunch of nicknames, you know?" he added. Jericho then mused that there isn't much of a difference between all his more recent nicknames and believes that "Jericho" is enough to instill memories of his 35 year career. "It's the Metallica 'Black Album;' it's the Beatles 'White Album.'" The veteran also added that his focus is now to work with as many names in AEW as he possibly can.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "TMZ's Inside The Ring," and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.